Red Hand Day--February 12

Children Should Not Be Forced Into Combat

Red Hand Day, on February 12, is a worldwide initiative to stop the use of child soldiers. According to U.N. statistics, there are approximately 250,000 child soldiers worldwide being used in adult wars. The average age is 15-18, however some as young as 7 years of age are forced to participate.
They basically become slaves for their commanders. They fear for their lives so do as they’re told from running errands to becoming victims of sex abuse. They may participate in combat, laying mines or other explosives, scouting, spying, cooking and domestic labor. Some join voluntarily for a sense of survival. About 1/3 of child soldiers are girls doing what the boys do as well as forced to be “wives” or “sex slaves” to the commanders. They may be infected with HIV/AIDS or other STDs and many girls become pregnant. These children live under harsh conditions with little food and little or no healthcare.
In the past decade more than 2 million children have been killed in conflict situations. An estimated 6 million children have been seriously injured or permanently disabled. (World Vision)

Pray for the Child Soldiers!